50543 ZIP Code — Gowrie, IA

Webster County, Iowa

ZIP code 50543 is located in Gowrie, Iowa, within Webster County. It covers approximately 79.21 square miles and serves a population of 1,243 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 515.

About ZIP code 50543

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $105,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 89%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($69,750) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 50543 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,243

population

79.21

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

50543 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 50543

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 50543. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Gowrie	Acceptable
Gowrie	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

50523 Callender (6.1 mi) 50544 Harcourt (6.3 mi) 50217 Paton (7.6 mi) 50538 Farnhamville (8.4 mi) 50566 Moorland (10.2 mi) 50530 Dayton (11.9 mi) 50586 Somers (12.1 mi) 50501 Fort Dodge (12.8 mi) 50064 Dana (12.9 mi) 50557 Lehigh (13.6 mi) 51453 Lohrville (14.4 mi) 50223 Pilot Mound (15 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,243
Population density	16 / sq mi
State FIPS	19
County FIPS	187

Geography
Land area	79.21 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	42.2818
Longitude	-94.2810
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	515

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.9%	48.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	32.0%	33.3%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	20.7%	16.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.4%	2.2%	5.0%

Demographics & statistics

1,243

Population

People per sq mi

48.2

Median age

$69,750

Median household income

$42,672

Per capita income

$105,900

Median home value

$637

Median monthly rent

88.7%

Home ownership

1.7%

Poverty rate

3.3%

Unemployment

554

Housing units

24.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	245	19.7%
18 and over	998	80.3%
65 and over	303	24.4%
Median age	48.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.4%

Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

Two or more races 3%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 0.9%

Group	Count	%
White	1,174	91.4%
Hispanic or Latino	41	3.2%
Two or more races	39	3%
Other race	19	1.5%
Asian	11	0.9%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.9%	48.3%	40.1%
$50k – $100k	32.0%	33.3%	33.4%
$100k – $200k	20.7%	16.1%	21.5%
Over $200k	4.4%	2.2%	5.0%

$10k–$15k 0.6%

$15k–$25k 12.6%

$25k–$35k 13.9%

$35k–$50k 9.8%

$50k–$75k 20.4%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 8.2%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k+ 10.8%

Range	% of households
$10k–$15k	0.6%
$15k–$25k	12.6%
$25k–$35k	13.9%
$35k–$50k	9.8%
$50k–$75k	20.4%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	8.2%
$150k–$200k	9.6%
$200k+	10.8%
Median income	$69,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.1%

$50k–$100k 32.4%

$100k–$150k 17.4%

$150k–$200k 9.6%

$200k–$300k 18.6%

$300k–$500k 1.7%

$500k–$1M 4.0%

$1M+ 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$105,900
Median rent / month	$637
Owner occupied	88.7%
Renter occupied	11.3%
Vacant	12.4%
Single-family detached	89.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.28

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	3.6%
1990–1999	5.7%
1980–1989	4.1%
1970–1979	7.5%
1960–1969	12.7%
1950–1959	16.3%
1940–1949	6.5%
1939 or earlier	43.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	10.9%
2 bedrooms	29.6%
3 bedrooms	42.3%
4 bedrooms	14.1%
5+ bedrooms	3.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	0.7%
1 vehicle	23.2%
2 vehicles	34.3%
3 or more	41.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	59.0%
Electricity	14.5%
Propane / LP gas	25.6%
No fuel used	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	273	50.6%
Cohabiting couple	33	6.1%
Male householder, no spouse	83	15.4%
Female householder, no spouse	150	27.8%
Households with children under 18	128	23.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	203	37.7%
Average household size	2.25

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.0%	22.8%
Married	58.5%	50.6%
Separated	0.0%	0.2%
Widowed	6.5%	14.1%
Divorced	5.0%	12.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 1.6%

HS graduate 27.6%

Some college, no degree 24.1%

Associate's degree 20.2%

Bachelor's degree 21.1%

Graduate / professional 3.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.7%
Bachelor's or higher	24.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	15	6.3%
Kindergarten	11	4.6%
Elementary school	119	49.8%
High school	49	20.5%
College / grad school	45	18.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.0%

Agriculture & mining 14.4%

Retail trade 11.1%

Manufacturing 10.1%

Transportation & utilities 9.3%

Construction 6.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.5%

Finance & real estate 4.2%

Professional & management 4.0%

Wholesale trade 3.7%

Other services 2.2%

Information 1.0%

Public administration 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	46.7%
Service	16.2%
Sales & office	17.7%
Natural resources & construction	6.6%
Production & transportation	12.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.9%
Government	12.5%
Self-employed	16.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.3%
Carpool	6.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	4.4%
Work from home	6.5%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.8

Poverty

All people 1.7%

Under 18 years 0.4%

18 and over 2.0%

Married-couple families 0.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.5%
Retirement income	21.2%
Supplemental Security	3.9%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.8%
High blood pressure	35.3%
High cholesterol	33.7%
Diabetes	11.0%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	27.7%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.6%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.1%
Binge drinking	19.4%
No physical activity	25.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.5%
Depression	17.4%
Fair or poor health	13.5%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	9.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	67.0%
Cholesterol screening	90.1%
Teeth loss	13.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	48	4.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.9%
Under 18	4.1%
18–64 years	7.8%
65 and over	20.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.3%
Public insurance	47.4%
No insurance	2.6%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,177	94.7%
Spanish	7	0.6%
Other Indo-European	7	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,232	99.1%
Born in same state	1,229	98.9%
Born in different state	1,005	80.9%
Foreign born	3	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	11	0.9%
Not a US citizen	8	72.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	113	9.1%
Italian	107	8.6%
Polish	94	7.6%
Arab	33	2.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	13	1%
English	8	0.6%
Irish	2	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.4%
Internet access	90.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 50543

What city is ZIP code 50543 in?

ZIP code 50543 is primarily assigned to Gowrie, Iowa.

What county is ZIP code 50543 in?

ZIP code 50543 falls within Webster County, Iowa.

Is ZIP code 50543 mostly owner-occupied?

89% of occupied units in ZIP code 50543 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 50543 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 50543 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 50543?

The median home value in ZIP code 50543 is $105,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 50543?

ZIP code 50543 has an estimated population of 1,243 residents, with a density of 16 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 50543 in?

ZIP code 50543 observes the CST timezone.